The St. Louis County Prosecutor has filed criminal charges against three suspects accused of this week’s assault on a MetroLink train.

MetroLink Map – Image courtesy of Metro St. Louis

Court documents say the victim was attacked by at least six suspects while riding the train between the Rock Road and UMSL South stations.

Court documents say the suspects allegedly kicked, punched and beat the male victim, who suffered an orbital bone fracture and other facial fractures.

The attack was recorded on surveillance video.

County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch (D) has charged Eddie Price, Jody Dale and Jahma Swanigan with first degree assault.

Court documents quote Dale as telling detectives that the assault was in retaliation for the victim allegedly stealing money and a gun from Dale’s aunt.

Online court documents show Price was arraigned this morning in Clayton, and that his bond has been set at $150,000.

Dale’s bond is $100,000 cash-only, and Swanigan’s bond is $75,000 cash-only.

Three additional suspects are being sought.

Monday’s assault on the MetroLink highlights the issue of crime and violence, an issue that was addressed during a March hearing of the Missouri House Subcommittee on Mass Transit Security in Jefferson City.

Thousands of people use the MetroLink to get to work daily, as well as to St. Louis Cardinal baseball and Blues hockey games.

MetroLink is a 46-mile, 37-station light rail system that stretches from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Illinois.

Testimony from the March hearing in Jefferson City shows that ridership on the St. Louis system has plummeted from 17.5 million in fiscal year 2014 to 14.9 million in fiscal year 2017.

Bi-State Development President and CEO John Nations testified during that March hearing in Jefferson City, and was asked numerous questions from lawmakers about crime and safety concerns.

“There’s no question we saw an uptick in the incidents on our system, and security has been labeled by our passengers as their number one concern on the system,” Nations testified in March.

State Rep. Mark Matthiesen (R-Maryland Heights) speaks on the Missouri House floor on February 1, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Missouri House Subcommittee on Mass Transit Security Chairman Mark Matthiesen, R-Maryland Heights, issued a statement on Friday to Missourinet.

“I am deeply concerned about the man who was brutally attacked on MetroLink earlier this week. The St. Louis County PD has put forth an honest effort to better protect the riders on MetroLink, however it is obvious that more work needs to be done. A thorough investigation is underway to determine the motive for the attack. I anticipate that this crime will only be prevented when all law enforcement agencies are working together on every aspect of transportation security across the metro area.”

Chairman Matthiesen’s last sentence refers, in part, to testimony in March from Bi-State officials, who said that St. Louis County officers had threatened to arrest MetroLink light-rail officers.

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